Stefanos Tsitsipas’ ex-coach Mark Philippoussis levied with a HEFTY fine of $10,000 for breaching betting rules
The sanction was imposed on Philippoussis due to his promotion of a sports betting site.
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Mark Philippoussis (Credits: BBC)
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) recently sanctioned Australian tennis coach Mark Philippoussis for violating tennis’ betting sponsorship regulations.
Philippoussis received a $10,000 fine and a four-month suspended ban as part of the sanction. The breach occurred when he accepted payment for giving a voiceover to promotional content for a gaming operator. According to reports, Philippoussis cooperated fully with the ITIA inquiry and did not oppose the charge.
The suspension will only come into effect if there is another breach of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP) within a four-month period, which started on July 21, 2023.
Mark Philippoussis is a former top-10 ATP singles player and current professional coach. He recently parted ways with Stefanos Tsitsipas as coach in May 2023. Philippoussis is remembered for his 1998 US Open final and 2003 Wimbledon final appearances, the latter of which he lost to Roger Federer.
Understanding the sanction imposed on Mark Philippoussis
Tennis has strict restrictions in place regarding relationships between accredited individuals, such as coaches and betting operators. As a certified coach, Philippoussis falls under the category of “Covered Person” and is subject to certain rules. According to the 2022 TACP regulations, “No Covered Person shall, directly or indirectly, facilitate, encourage, and/or promote Tennis Betting (‘Facilitation’).”
Karen Moorhouse, CEO of the ITIA, emphasized the rationale behind the rules prohibiting commercial relationships between accredited individuals and betting companies. “As a sport, tennis has decided that accredited individuals should not have commercial relationships with betting companies given their potential ability to influence matches, access to inside information, and therefore the perception of such relationships. Whilst this case is clearly not one of corruption, it is a rule that players, coaches, and others in the sport need to be aware of.”
The sanction imposed on Philippoussis serves as a reminder of the strict regulations governing betting sponsorship in tennis. While not a corruption case, the violation underscores the importance of adhering to the rules in the tennis community.
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Ketan Kunkalikar
(129 Articles Published)